Reporting Verbs

verb object verb

verb object verb verb
verb (that) preposition preposition
infinitive infinitive gerund
gerund gerund

admit
agree
agree
advise decide
decide
encourage deny deny accuse
offer apologize
invite explain recommend blame
promise insist
remind insist suggest congratulate
refuse
warn promise
threaten
recommend
suggest

Examples:
Examples: Examples:
Examples: Tom Examples:
Jack He denied Examples:
She offered admitted They accused
encouraged having He
to give him (that) he the boys of
me to look for anything to apologized
a lift to had tried to cheating on
a new job. do with her. for being
work. leave early. the exam.
late.
They invited Ken
My brother She agreed She blamed
all their suggested She insisted
refused to (that) we her husband
friends to studying on doing the
take no for needed to for missing
attend the early in the washing up.
an answer. reconsider the train.
presentation. morning.
our plans.

REPORTED SPEECH

SUMMARY OF REPORTING VERBS

Note that some reporting verbs may appear in more than one of the following groups.

1. Verbs followed by 'if' or 'whether' + clause:

ask say
know see
remember
2. Verbs followed by a that-clause:

add doubt reply

admit estimate report
agree explain reveal
announce fear say
answer feel state
argue insist suggest
boast mention suppose
claim observe tell
comment persuade think
complain propose understand
confirm remark warn
consider remember
deny repeat

3. Verbs followed by either a that-clause or a to-infinitive:

decide promise
expect swear
guarantee threaten
hope

4. Verbs followed by a that-clause containing should

(but note that it may be omitted, leaving a subject + zero-infinitive):

advise insist recommend

beg prefer request
demand propose suggest

5. Verbs followed by a clause starting with a question word:

decide imagine see

describe know suggest
discover learn teach
discuss realise tell
explain remember think
forget reveal understand
guess say wonder

6. Verbs followed by object + to-infinitive

advise forbid teach

ask instruct tell
beg invite warn
command
 reporting verbs

form, functions & examples

blame

verb + infinitive congratulate

agree He accused me of taking the money.

decide They congratulated me on passing all my

offer exams.

promise My brother blamed me for the accident.

refuse

threaten verb + preposition + gerund

They agreed to meet on Friday. apologize

He refused to take his coat off. insist

They apologized for not coming.

verb + object + infinitive He insisted on having dinner.

advise

encourage verb + (that)

invite admit

remind agree

warn decide

Tom advised me to go home early. deny

She reminded me to telephone my mother. explain

insist

verb + gerund promise

deny recommend

recommend suggest

suggest Sarah decided (that) the house needed

They recommended taking the bus. cleaning.

She suggested meeting a little earlier. They recommended (that) we take the bus.

verb + object + preposition (+ gerund) See also Reported speech | Reported

accuse questions

reported questions

word order

When we are reporting questions, the subject comes before the verb.

DIRECT SPEECH: "Where are you going?"

 REPORTED SPEECH: He asked me where I was going.

DIRECT SPEECH: "Why is he shouting?"

REPORTED SPEECH: He asked me why he was shouting.

DIRECT SPEECH: "What do you want?"

REPORTED SPEECH: She asked me what he wanted.

negative questions

We do not use the auxiliary verb do, except in negative questions.

DIRECT SPEECH: "Who doesn't like cheese?"

REPORTED SPEECH: She asked me who didn't like cheese.

yes/no questions

We report yes / no questions with if or whether.

DIRECT SPEECH: "Do you want me to come?"

REPORTED SPEECH: I asked him if he wanted me to come.

DIRECT SPEECH: "Have you fed the dog?"

REPORTED SPEECH: She asked me whether I had fed the dog.

who, what, which

When we report questions with who, what or which + to be + complement, the verb to be can come before or
after the complement.
DIRECT SPEECH: "Who is the champion?"
REPORTED SPEECH: She asked me who the champion was OR She asked me who was the champion.

DIRECT SPEECH: "What is your favourite colour?"

REPORTED SPEECH: She asked me what my favourite colour was OR She asked me what was my favourite
colour.

See also Reported speech | Say and tell

teaching reported questions

"Example A
Student 1: Are they happy?
Student 2: Yes, they are.
Student 3: What did he ask you?
Student 2: He asked me if they were happy.

Example B
Student 1: What is your name?
Student 2: My name is Sami.
Student 3: What did he ask you?
Student 2: He asked me what my name was."